Here, he’s alone – or almost alone. First in Ottawa, and then in Montreal, Canada, away from the hassles of French politics, on Thursday, September 26, Emmanuel Macron devoted himself to what sources at the Elysée have called his “reserved domain”: That of international issues. Donning the mantle of a “president who presides” rather than a “president who governs,” as sources in his entourage have insisted, Macron spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about Ukraine, defense, the French-speaking world and the challenges of artificial intelligence.
A few hours earlier, he had taken to the podium of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York, to express his dismay at “the war Israel that is waging in Gaza,” after accusing Russia of “serious breaches of the law, of ethics, even of honor,” all while highlighting “the danger of speech without effect and impotent diplomacy.” “It’s the president’s moment,” a source at the Elysée Palace said, as Macron joined Joe Biden in calling for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah – which has been met with little success to date.
Read more Subscribers only French-American initiative calls for 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon
However, when beginning his express-visit to Ottawa, the president was pensive. Together with local French-speaking figures, in a large salon in the French ambassador to Canada’s residence, he was observing a fresco entitled La France heureuse (“Happy France”) which adorned the room. “I don’t know if France is happy, but [the French-speaking world] certainly is,” he said with a sigh, before falling silent for 90 minutes, leaving the floor to guests, including writer Dany Laferrière.
‘An influential president’
Can Macron resign himself to henceforth only being “just” a president, watching from afar as the government contradicts the policies he has pursued? What will his role be in this unprecedented situation, which is neither a “cohabitation” nor a “collaboration” with the right-wing prime minister, Michel Barnier? A sort of coexistence, between the “new world” and the old. When he took office, the prime minister, a former European commissioner, already warned that the “reserved domain” of international affairs was, in his eyes, a “shared domain” – particularly on European issues, which are crucial to tackling the migration question, or restoring public accounts, his core priorities.
“In the end, the president’s role is a lot of ‘words and words’,” said socialist former minister Michel Sapin, who had been able to observe François Mitterrand’s presidency as a junior minister from 1991 to 1992. “Vox populi, vox dei,” was the reply given by a source at the Elysée, signifying that the president has no choice but to bow to the French people’s will, as they had penalized his coalition in the July 7 snap parliamentary elections. Indeed, at the end of the day, in the heart of Montreal, far-left demonstrators took him to task, saucepans and flags for the radical left La France Insoumise party in hand, shouting: “Macron resign!” Yet this didn’t stop him, speaking together with Trudeau before the local French community a little later in, from saying: “Happy as a Frenchman in Canada!”
You have 59.06% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=66f76447fed84800a98fd06d6141c8d7&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lemonde.fr%2Fen%2Fpolitics%2Farticle%2F2024%2F09%2F28%2Fmacron-uses-international-spotlight-to-pivot-away-from-french-politics_6727523_5.html&c=7063064026597291266&mkt=de-de
Author :
Publish date : 2024-09-27 19:00:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
